Van Slyke made nine of his 11 shots to help Arkansas State (3-2) end a two-game skid. Melvin Johnson III added 17. The Red Wolves made 30 of their 61 shots, including 7 of 18 from behind the 3-point line.

Lenell Brown scored 12 points and was the only Central Arkansas (1-3) player to reach double figures. The Bears were held to 35 percent shooting.

Arkansas State forced 24 turnovers, won the battle on the boards (48-26), and attempted 40 free throws compared to eight for Central Arkansas.

Arkansas State has now won four in a row against Central Arkansas and leads the all-time series 21-18. In the previous six meetings, Arkansas State scored an average of 66.2 points per game.